Picked up Viticulture Essential Edition as a joint present for our anniversary. Managed a couple of games so far, and really enjoying it. Three games so far, each played out very differently. The mamas and papas do enough to change your focus in the beginning of the game, and the visitor cards really allow you to adapt your approach. First game I won with a 3 point gap, second needed a tie breaker. My girlfriend then won the third by about 9 points! Will definitely be checking out the smaller expansions soon. Iāll leave Tuscany until weāve played the base game for a while longer.
We then played our first few games of Hanamikoji. Wasnāt sure how this would go down, but I think it might become our main 2 player filler card game. So quick, but each turn is a difficult decision. A lot of fun, looking forward to more of this.
6 Likes
With all the talk of Spirit Island lately, I have been yearning to play it, so tonight I did. Tried two handing it for the first time, using Shadows Flicker Like Flame along with Spread of Rampant Green. This was only my third game ever, so I still am not using adversaries, scenarios, or even blight cards, though I might be ready for the last now.
Game went well. Shadows had its part of the island well in hand after a few turns, but Green was getting hammered inland. Shadows was eventually able to spread over to support. Green did get a great major power card that essentially wiped out everything in a jungle location, so both spirits would push and pull invaders there to obliterate them. Took out like 10 explorers and 3 towns this way.
I won through emptying the fear deck, just before I would have started getting into the third stage of the invader deck. This is such a great game, I just wish it played a little faster, as it took about 2 - 2.5 hours to play.
8 Likes
Yeah, there really isnāt a quick version unless you play with a single spirit but even then the gameāeven with the big wooden insertāhas considerable setup and tear down in addition to each turn taking time. I find playing with 2 spirits much more satisfying than with one because of the synergy effects you gain from multiple spirits. But having to handle 2 spirits makes everything take even longer.
3 Likes
Started a game of Forgotten Waters with my partner, using the 2-player rules.
Those added to the āneither of us have done this before and we have to divide all these ship roles and damage tracks 3-4 eachā made her feel like there was a lot of setup, although I reassured her that it settles down once we start playing.
The two player rules mean that a constellation star only gives you +3 infamy, not a star directly, and to gain any skill you have to pay a Supplies or you donāt get it. We both immediately started spending ALL the ship supplies to boost skills, got cursed by a psychic in port, ran into a storm on our first hex, deliberately went to the next foggy scary island hex (which turned out about as well as youād expect), and are now a few spaces out on zero supplies and some hull damage.
The dialogue is great though, and I want to know what will happen to my Culinary pirate āHot Buns McGillicuddyā.
5 Likes
I am glad I am starting trends. Spirit Island is such a great game. I must admit, I donāt find it particularly long, but then again, my games have been all with one spirit. And after setting up things like Gloomhaven, this does not feel too bad. I was considering having a game last night, but Olympics got in the way, having a Spaniard in the final and seeing him winning the first part of the combined (speed climbing) are to blame.
I might give it a go tonight with two spirits.
5 Likes
I think when you are soloing multiple spirits, you will see a greater increase in time than if you had a second player with you, as you cannot simultaneously perform the growth steps or playing and activating powers on your own the way multiple players can. At the same time, thereās no discussion to be had about what to do when itās just you playing, so maybe that balances out, I donāt know. The other steps go at about the same speed, though.
To be fair, my playtime is an estimate at best, as I started setting up the game around 9 PM and finished putting the game away at about 12:30 AM, but in between I went and got milkshakes, sat and watched a bit of TV with my wife, got cleaned up for bed, and a few other interruptions here and there. But I do think 2 hours is approximately the correct amount of time I needed to setup, play, and put the game away. Though it was my first time playing in about 6 months, so there was definitely a bit of referencing the rulebook to make sure I was playing correctly that took up time as well.
6 Likes
We had a belting game of Perudo last night. Weāre staying at my Mum and Dadās. Our youngest has never played before but got some comical rolls. I was sat next to him and crashed out early because I kept calling out his ridiculous bets and losing.
Bear in mind my parents own this and have played for over 25 years. They couldnāt remember it at all.
It came down to my eldest versus my Dad, one dice each. Eldest on Palafico (special rule for first time you hit one dice). He calls āone 2ā. My Dad looks at him, looks at his die. Stone cold ātwo 2sā. Eldest has to call him out. āDudoā. Dad reveals a 2. All on Eldest, was he bluffing? He revealsā¦a 2. We all explode; what an ending.
It dies down. My Dad then pipes up. āHang on, who won?ā!!!
10 Likes
Lolā¦ I didnāt know Perudo is the same as the game we call āBluffā over here.
6 Likes
Also goes by other names such as Liarās Dice - the portrayal of the game in Pirates of the Caribbean was garbage (as what one would expect from Hollywood)
I love Perudo. Might go for it next time
7 Likes
Todayāwith great timing as I could really use a new game to boost my mood (yesterday grrr)āmy Kickstarter copy of Ares Expedition arrived. It took a bit longer because I had extras (playmats and metal cubes) and really with the amount of new games I get and Kickstarters I backā¦ as long as the game arrives, I am not complaining that some people were able to play before me because they got the Target version (we donāt have Target here either so I care even less). I still think, they did something dumb there but oh wellā¦ Probably shows the power of corporate money and the amount a place like Target can add to āgames soldā. If that finances the nicer materials, I am all for itā¦ because oh boyā¦ they are nice. Good card stock, nice double layer boardsā¦ thick paper for the manual. And thatās not even counting the metal cubesāeven the original plastic ones are way ahead of what the original TM provided.
I already playedāand lostāa solo. And to everyone who says they should have chosen a different name because it is not Terraforming Mars, I say: but it is. Except faster, without all the baggage the big game acquired over the years, more streamlined and I love it. I love both. But this gives me the same satisfaction as Mommy Mars in a much smaller game. You still want to raise temperature and oxygen levelsā¦ instead of the big map to terraform you get a bunch of ocean tiles but it is all there. The solo mode is the same even: terraform it all by yourself in X moves.
They added the āX phasesāchoose one, you get a bonus for your choiceā mechanism we love from Race/Roll and it works quite nicely. So it plays a bit like those two from a very abstracted point of view.
The phases are I: play green production cards II: Build blue or red cards (events and buildings) III: do actions IV: produce V: research (aka draw cards aka Verlegenheitsaktion)
You still want your engine to produce Spacebucks, Heat and Plants. Cards are a new type of production while Steel and Titanium have become fixed rebate ratings for the cards that have those tags.
You still get to create woods but those directly turn into VP you collect on your board. There are no cities and no map and adjacency rulesā¦
The biggest thing I messed up in my first play was āyou can do as many standard actions as you want in the action phaseā. The action type that is limited are actions on blue cards. Oh well, I donāt think I would have won with that change.
8 Likes
How do you think it compares to Race For the Galaxy?
Iām really tempted because Iām a big fan of Race and TM but not sure if when weād play it
2 Likes
Having played it once, it really does feel like the midpoint between the two. When I was joining the game I told the folks that I had only played TM once but played Race a thousand times, and they said that would actually give me a way better starting point than if it was the other way around. The phases feel very familiar, the kind of card effects and the production rules are very similar to TM - itās a real smooth blending.
Personally, I would never choose it over Race, but thatās because Race is such a top shelf game that I donāt think anything could knock it off the podium. If Race didnāt exist, I would be more into this game. Canāt really do the comparison between this and normal TM because Iāve only played each once.
3 Likes
Latest āplay by WhatsAppā of Railroad Ink:
11 Likes
I would say if you have the āOh I would want to play TM but I just donāt have the time or spaceā moments. It feels very much like the original base game minus the map. Iāve played the original more on the app because the big game is hard to get to the table with all the setup, the expansions and my partner saying āit takes too long for me to loseā
The similarity to Race is not that big greater than I thought (see below). Yes, both are engine builders but different styles of engines but while Race has different types of goods Ares Expedition has more different resources that are produced in the engine. If you know both TM and Race, the engine is really exactly like TM. The phase selection is something I first encountered in Race and back then was the major thing that needed a lot of explaining.
Let me see:
Ares Expedition ā Race
I: Play Green Production Cards ā II: Play Developments?
II: Play Red (Event) or Blue (Building) Cards ā III: Play Planets? (II and III could be switched)
III: Do actions ā IV: Consume or Trade Goods
IV: Production ā V: Produce Goods
V: Research ā I: Explore
So yeah, one can see a bit more similarity. Building Cards provide Actions. Cards are payed for with Spacebucks but you can also use your cards (exchange rate is 1 card = 3 spacebucks)
Still doesnāt change my verdict: if you get TM to the table enough for your taste, just buy another expansion for Race unless you are bored with Raceā¦ which I find hard to believe could happen.
2 Likes
Thanks both. Itās quite pricey in the UK (Ā£45 iirc) - although I understand there are a lot of cards in the box. Iāve got a feeling a few of those Kickstarters may go on ebay in the new year, although if Iām struggling for a Christmas present for my wife it may go in a basket.
2 Likes
We logged our first game of Bullet this evening, avoiding the timer to start and wow that was the correct choice. This has a serious spatial crunch confounded further by incredibly distinct methods by which each player can (hope to) clear (some of, probably) their field. My head hurts but ooooo-eeey I like this a whole lot.
My partner seems a bit reticent about the timed mode, but Iām hoping that softens with some experience. Iām perfectly happy playing without but the timer is baked into the experience and I think will really elevate it. In any case it also has a boss attack mode which isnāt timed, and seems like a decent, challenging diversion if we want to play without being directly at our throats.
Iām really happy I picked this one up, I think a puzzle with a little more competitive bite was just what I needed to sit next to Calico.
6 Likes
Just finished up scenario 1 of Descent: Legends of the Dark
There are a few quirks in the rules that I need to get figured out before scenario 2, but overall Iām impressed with the app integration, as well as the production quality. It has quite the table presence.
For anyone who may be picking this up, be aware that it is a Sword and Sorcery style table hog. Scenario 1 finished up at 30 x 30 inches. not including space needed for stat cards, tokens, a tablet, and the reservoirs of 2d and 3d terrain. It put my Giant American Gaming Table to work.
7 Likes
Had another game of Spirit Island on Friday Night, this time still against the Prussians on level 1, but with two spirits this time, Shadows Flicker like Flames and A Spread of Rampant Green.
I must agree with @COMaestro, it does escalate quickly with more than one spirit, decision taking goes to another level. The game went over two hours, but it didnāt feel heavy, just thinkyā¦
So after a quick invader advance on Spread half of the island (Spread reduced energy intake was key for this), Shadows started to quickly empty their presence from its part of the island. After a very lucky draw with powers by Shadows, and Spread power letting it expand presence quickly, soon the invaders started to get a proper pounding.
Phase 2 expansion cards did make the invaders have a small comeback, but the fear generation tipped the balance back, getting a couple of cool cards in succession let me move invaders about, stopping them from building. With the help of some Dahan attack cards, eventually by the first level III invader card I eliminated the last city, and with terror on level 3, I managed a solid win, with an island free of blight and all.
I think it is time to level up invaders, or pass to a different nationality, and use a bit more complex spirits. I admit I love how easy it is to adjust the difficulties on this game.
4 Likes
Another quick round of Bullet this morning, solo using the score attack rules. This seems to be a really great mode to practice each of the characters with, but serves nicely as a basic solitaire mode on its own. I managed to complete four rounds (KO on round [EDIT: 8]), but I made a couple of minor errors that surely had enough impact to let me survive that 4th round.
As a morning coffee solitaire, Bullet isnāt as easy to play on the couch/in the lap as Calico, but itās also far more stressful and heaps on the pressure at every turn, so itās kind of alright that I need to set up properly at the table. It has more room for me to bang my head and shed sweat and tears without getting the components wet. 
Tough game. Just loving the decision space.
6 Likes
